Happy Weekend, foodies! How are you enjoying it so far? I have to say a big thanks to you guys: I’ve been getting a lot of comments & messages lately in appreciation of the honesty I share on my blog. I’ll admit, it’s not easy. I hem and haw over every post, wondering if I should share it, and I get suuuper anxious every time I press the “Publish” button. I’ve long been a very private person, and it’s intimidating to share personal things about myself. So I’m appreciating you for appreciating me 
Thank you!
Anyhoo, my weekend has been all about friends, homework, & snuggling with this little nugget. It’s been wonderful.
Speaking of this little nugget…poor Mowzers has fleas AGAIN. I took her to the vet, where they administered a shot. They then gave me a packet of pills I’m supposed to give her twice a week for 3 weeks…FML. Anyone ever tried to give oral medication to a cat? I actually hate the term ‘FML’ but this situation seems to warrant its use. Remembering the last {unsuccessful} time a friend tried to hold her while I inserted a liquid tuna-flavoured medication into her mouth while she squirmed and clawed and eventually spewed the medication everywhere, I decided to take an easy route. I picked up wet cat food {which she looooves and never gets}, and opted to crush the pills into her cat food. Simple, right?
WELL, she’s having none of it. First, I’m sure you can imagine how much a vegan enjoys mushing medication into wet chicken flesh *barf* Then you can imagine being the cat who has to eat her favourite food ultimately destroyed by medication. She reluctantly ate it on Wednesday, but has been on hunger-strike all day today. She keeps looking at me, then trying to “bury” her food bowl by scratching at the laminate floor. I think she wants it to go away. I can’t say I blame her.
If any of you have suggestions on successfully giving pills to cats…please share :/ I still suck at it.
Anyway, back to the Mushroom A La King!
I posted the Chickpea A La King a few months ago, which was originally inspired by the Gluten-Free Vegan. With a few simple tweaks, this was a perfect mid-week meal for Dallas & I. We both agree this needs to go into regular rotation Enjoy, foodies!
From my kitchen to yours <3
| Mushroom A La King |
- 2/3 cup brown rice, dry
- 1 1/3 cup water, for boiling
- 1/2 cup green peas, frozen
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 1 medium zucchini, chopped
- 2 tbsp potato flour
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 cup almond mylk
- black pepper, to taste
- In a small pot over high heat, bring water and brown rice to a boil. Stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and let cook until water is absorbed, about 40 minutes. When there are about 15 minutes left, sprinkle the frozen green peas on top of the rice. Cover and continue to cook. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large wok over medium heat, saute garlic, mushrooms, & zucchini in coconut oil until tender & golden, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in potato flour, sea salt, paprika, nutritional yeast. Mix until everything is well combined.
- Pour in almond mylk, mixing to incorporate. Let simmer for another 3-5 minutes mixture is thickened.
- Season to taste with black pepper. Serve warm over prepared rice and peas!
peace, love, food <3
Char, xo
Yum! This looks like such a delicious gluten-free, vegan recipe! I just found your blog through iheartwellness. I can’t wait to check out more of your recipes. Take care,
Kilee
haha I was thinking that after! I didn’t claim it as gluten-free, but it totally is!
Welcome, Kilee! I’m gonna pop over and check out your blog
Awwh poor kitty! We used to give our dog medicine with cheese whiz! It totally worked – now we use peanut butter (who eats cheese whiz anyways!?) I don’t know if cats can have either – but it was easy to hide it in there.
Good luck!!
she’s such a picky kitty and actually won’t eat people food
she sniffs it, makes a face, and walks away. She also tends to nibble at her food rather than wolfing it down, so she’d probably find a way to pick out the pill and leave it! lol. haha I used to eat Cheez Whiz as a kid, but neither Dallas nor I would eat it now 
though there is quite the abundance of peanut/almond/tahini butter in our cupboards!
My cat just finished a round of antibiotics, and we too had to crush it up and put it in wet food. He avoided it like the plague, but after a couple days, he was hungry enough he finally buckled. Of the 8 pills we gave him, he probably consumed about 2 max. Plus side is, he’s better now.
One thing that worked better was to crush it up and put it in some milk (my cat totally drinks rice milk). Still avoided it, but I think he got more of it in his system. Good luck!
Mowzers doesn’t like my food, but I will try with the almond mylk! That’s a good idea. She finally ended up eating the wet food, too, but I know she wasn’t happy about it. She was soooo excited for her kibbles after! haha, poor thing. At least she had the shot at the vet, so even if she only gets a few pills into her system, I’ll be happy.
I love mushrooms! Why is it that people either love them or hate them? It’s like brussels sprouts. One of my younger sisters hates mushrooms cooked (unless its on pizza), but will eat them raw anytime. Go figure.
ANYWAYS, I’m sorry about your little kitty fiasco. She’s pretty smart! You’re doing the right thing though with the food and medication combo. Does she have fleas so bad that you can’t use a coat medication like Frontline?
haha soooo true about the mushrooms & brussels sprouts! As a kid I really disliked the texture of mushrooms, and didn’t start to actually enjoy them until I was 20! I was a picky child…which I guess is why I have empathy for picky eaters
It’s not that the fleas are bad. The vet gave her a shot, but said the pills were to kill off any extra eggs that may have been laid that day. So it’s more a precautionary thing. I just want her to stop itching 
I feel so bad, but she seems to be more relaxed already.
Noooo pooor cat (and poor you!). Haha cats love taking oral medication just as much as they love taking baths! Best advice is to be HARD on them and do it quickly. They’ll forgive you pretty fast… And for the food all I have to say is YUMMIE!! Saving it among my recipe-bookmarks! :DD
LOL!! Yes, baths! Omg, how could I forget? Mowzers runs away at the sound of water, lol. And you’re right- as long as she gets snuggles after, I’m sure she’ll forgive me pretty quickly!
Hope you enjoy the recipe! It’s one of our favourites
This looks interesting. ANything with nutritional yeast, and I’m sold ;)
hehe same! I love that stuff!
Oh Char, I’m so sorry about that poor cat. She looks adorable though. That dish looks yummy, and so hearty.
Thank you, Annie! She’s doing much better I think
And thank you! This is one of my favourite dishes!
Giving pills is the WORST. Are you sure there’s no alternative form for the medicine? My vet told me our cat had to go on daily medication and originally suggested pills but I pushed back and she then told me it’s available in a gel form. So I rub the gel into his ear each night because then it is absorbed through the skin. It’s been a while since I had outdoor cats so it’s been a while since I did flea medication but I’m sure there was one that was liquid that I squirted onto the nape of my cat’s neck? That’s the hardest part for them to lick so they don’t get rid of the meds.
Either way I hope it works out! And anything with mushrooms = much love!
Ahh, I should have asked about the gel. I’ve used one before…they did give her a shot, but the pills are a “just in case” to get rid of any extra eggs that didn’t die. But I think she’s doing much better…she doesn’t seem to be itching as much. Round 3 of medication is tomorrow :/ haha
What a YUMMY Dinner!!! Unfortunately fleas are not yummy….I hope they clear up soon
I love, love your meals!! YUM!!
xxoo
thanks so much, love! Mowzers seems to be doing much better
xoxo
I just love the name Mowzers so much! Every time I hear it, it makes me smile! She reminds me a lot of my little Dexy kitty
Oh man, we had to give our kitty Winnie oral medication fairly recently and she HATED it. One of us had to hold her, and then the other person had to jam the eye dropper down her throat, and she would refuse to swallow and then start dramatically frothing at the mouth.
Medicating cats sucks. I have always wondered if you could just add it to their food or something. Google that! Maybe you’ll end up on someone’s blog? ;)
hehe it came up as a baby name when I was coddling her, and it just stuck
Your story of Winnie is EXACTLY what happened with Mowzers’ liquid tuna medication! I was going to add the part about her foaming at the mouth into the post, but didn’t want people to panic thinking she had a seizure, haha. I wasn’t sure how to word it.
I may just go Google that…hehe ;) I saw your post and was JUST about to comment on it! xx
Oh Char, pills and aimals are not a good mix. We have an English bulldog and getting him to do ANYTHING he does not want to do is hopeless.
This recipe looks delicious, will be giving it a go.
I was thinking it would be easier to give pills to dogs! I guess you can’t really know until you’re in the situation
I’ve never had to give a dog meds, so I had no idea. Yeah, I’m hoping it’ll get easier…otherwise this’ll be a long 3 weeks!
Awesome, let me know what you think if you try it!
Aw Mowzers….such a sweetie. I have a soft spot for cats. I’m more of cat than dog person. Your mushroom a la king looks great! I love your use of coconut oil.
hehe same. I’m totally a cat person!
Unless it’s an Italian dish, I am all about coconut oil!